Welcome back! It’s the 16th week of First Sentence Friday and Free Book Friday!
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About the Book
Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The day Ruth Foster’s life changes begins the same way as many others—with a walk through her North Carolina hometown toward the diner where she works. But on this day, Ruth is stopped by the local sheriff, who insists that she accompany him to a health clinic. Women like Ruth—young, unmarried, living alone—must undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.
Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some, like 15-year-old Stella Temple, are brought in at their family’s request. For Stella, even the Colony’s hardships seem like a respite from her nightmarish home life.
Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she’s transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker’s rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.
But some refuse to be cowed. Against Mrs. Baker’s dogged efforts and the punishing weight of authority, Ruth and other inmates find ways to fight back, resolved to regain their freedom at any cost . . .
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First Sentence Friday Thoughts
As I read resource books and materials about reform schools, farm colonies, and detention hospitals, what came to my attention were the personnel issues among the staff. Of course I immediately latched onto that as a great source of friction to use in the story.
One historic example of this was at Samarcand Manor in Eagle Springs, North Carolina. I’m only giving a small portion of the issues among those who were involved in this work. In the book previously mentioned, Bad Girls at Samarcand: Sexuality and Sterilization in a Southern Juvenile Reformatory, and when Agnes MacNaughton was superintendent, she encountered resistance to her methods. Her time was from 1919 to 1933. After the dormitories were set on fire at the “school,” investigations brought to light the girls (or “inmates”) felt punishment was too harsh. MacNaughton’s leadership style, once looked at as the hallmark of reform, was no longer viewed in the same light. This was around 1933 and the Board of Managers decided on new leadership and she “quietly resigned.”
It wasn’t always within a facility and among the staff. Sometimes issues came up outside of these institutions. “Social workers complained that communication between the institution and county officials was non-existent.” Arbitrary parole policies worsened the communications between the two. The superintendent, (still Agnes MacNaughton at the time) and the Samarcand Board of Managers worked under a statute that allowed them to admit and discharge inmates. But, it was the magistrates who sentenced the girls and the administration could refuse their admittance on a case by case basis, which in turn forced county officials to resume care.
I’m always looking for angles to a story that bring to light the history, but also provide (hopefully!) page turning scenes. When those who are suppose to have your back become turncoats, this provides a lot of material to work with. Dorothy Baker, my fictional character loosely based on MacNaughton and a few other historic reformers, strongly believes her way is the best way and the only way. This creates discord and distrust among those she needs most. Characters like Mrs. Maynard, the housemother, as well as Dr. Graham, the physician, to name a few, view her with distrust and skepticism. They constantly question her authority, her knowledge, and in turn, she does the same with them and overall, this produces an atmosphere with undercurrents of suspicion.
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Chapter 16
Baker
Baker is provided updates on Stella’s progress by Dr. Graham, and the fact he suddenly takes care to do it daily raises her suspicions.
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Question of the Week!
I worked in the corporate world for many decades. Relationships with coworkers most of the time were great, but there were a handful that weren’t. It created additional stress on top of a job that was already stressful.
Working alongside people you don’t get along with all that well can create a toxic atmosphere where you dread being around them. There’s always this sense that they’re watching you, waiting for you to slip up. Have you ever had a relationship with a coworker, or a boss that was strained? (or worse?) How did you handle it?
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Free Read! Advance Reader Copy!
The winner is announced here Monday a.m. (we hope! Last week’s website snafu remains a mystery)
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PRE-ORDER Information
Pre-orders gauge the interest and signal to the publisher readers are eager for an author’s next work. If you’re holding out because you might win an ARC or a finished copy from First Sentence Friday, remember you can always give away the extra as a gift to a reader friend. 😉
Pre-order links for your convenience:
- Bookshop.org
- Kensington Publishing Corporation
- Barnes & Noble
- Books-A-Million
- Amazon
- Hudson Booksellers
- Target
- Walmart
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Social Media
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- Add Women of a Promiscuous Nature to your Goodreads “To Read” shelf
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Good mornng, no matter where a person works , there is always someone who for some reason doesnt care for you. I just handled it by mostly being nice to that person , ignoring them but always be watchful. Have a great weekend.
Oh can I ever relate! For 10 years there was a person with/for whom I worked that seemed to believe I added little value to the organization. He had me write down and submit to him everything I did- phone calls, meetings with people, projects, had to account for minute everything I did. I started scheduling weekly coffees with him to brief him on all my initiatives and projects. He was a very concrete, data driven person- I build relationships and community, so it’s difficult to quantify. He was looking for evidence to fire me because I guess he didn’t like me. After I built a couple of very successful programs and won an institutional award, it was harder for him. Plus I had someone higher up who liked and respected me. After that person moved, on the day before my husband and I left for our son’s wedding, he called me in and told me he was restructuring and my job was eliminated. And that I needed apply for the newly created position. And gave me some sort of fluff position. A month later I resigned. In an interesting twist, a couple of months later, the organization’s highest levels reorganized and then his position was eliminated. (From H.A. Jetpack is failing to send)
I swear that almost mirrors what happened to me, right down to the fluff position. Later, when they tried to terminate me, the individual who was the boss of the fluff dept. was the one let go. Poetic justice.
That’s very true. Sometimes you don’t even know there’s this underlying dislike – which I can’t say is better.
This came in as Anonymous, so not sure who you are!
be professional
bn100
Exactly
Sometimes you have to “grin and bear it” in order to keep your job, if you need it. Sometimes you can arrange for a move to another department. Sometimes, sad to say, you just have to quit and start over. My last job before retirement was at a small independent bookstore which closed when new mall owners made rules we couldn’t follow, but the owner and I still keep in touch.
There was plenty of that in my lifetime in the workforce. Fortunately, it never got so bad I quit. How lucky you were to work in a bookstore! That’s a job I think I’d love for lots of obvious reasons. 😉
A competitive woman, named “J,” at a medical practice I worked at, turned around my words and answers to her “innocent” questions, as me saying since I had a degree to mean something else. J told the uppers I said I should have a higher position and get paid more because I had a degree. The boss actually met up with me and I told them I never said that. Everything was fine, but I acted like nothing had been said and kept that person close. She ended up being alright but I was weary of her forever. A very judgmental and spiteful person who herself believed she deserved a higher position. She actually flaunted it when she was hired as a secretary to a doctor. None of that ever mattered to me. I guess she saw me as a threat and created a rumor to make herself feel better. I am not a fake person like she was and probably my genuineness saved face. She ended up creating problems with other women too, and even one person I had to console every week and build up her confidence. J preyed on people she thought were less than. It was horrible to watch. I don’t know why such people have to hold such hatred and jealously when it’s obviously their own insecurity and had nothing to do with the people they targeted in the first place.
That’s a really tough position to be in! You came through as Anonymous, so I don’t know who this is – be sure to add your name!
From Angela Gaskell, not Anonymous.
There are always those people who seem to curry favor with the bosses and get away with not doing their fair share
I worked hard at my jobs and even did extra work and stayed extra many ti mes. But their does come a day when you just have to speak up and address the issues.
Teresa Bawa